Conventional chewing gum generally includes gum base to which are added water-soluble sweeteners, for example, various sugars such as sucrose and dextrose, corn syrup, sorbitol and/or artificial sweeteners such as sodium or calcium saccharin, cyclamates, emulsifiers such as lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, and flavors. The chewing gum is generally prepared by melting the gum base, mixing corn syrup or other aqueous softener for 3 to 5 minutes with the gum base followed by the addition of solid sweeteners, for example, sugar, or sorbitol, and flavor and mixing for 5 minutes. The chewing gum is removed from the kettle, rolled and cut to the desired shape.
As the gum is processed as described above, it remains continuous throughout the entire procedure. The result is that the final chewing gum product is a continuous mass of gum base which envelopes the sugar or other sweeteners, as well as the aqueous softener so as to provide a matrix of gum base containing sweetener and aqueous softener.
The gum so-produced initially provides a desirable strong sweet taste which declines rapidly during the first three to five minutes of chewing to a very slight imperceptible level of sweetness. After about five minutes or less, substantially all sweetness is gone.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,154 to Graff et al discloses a center-filled chewing gum which includes as a liquid fill an aqueous solution having a dissolved solids portion, and a humectant for retarding increase in viscosity of the center fill. The dissolved solids portion may include invert sugar, sucrose and glucose, while the humectant is glycerine.
British Patent No. 1,469,031 discloses a center-filled chewing gum similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,154 except that in addition to glycerine, the humectant may be polylimonene, sorbitol solution, lecithin, dextrose, gum arabic, glyceryl monostearate, polyethylene glycol or propylene glycol.
Upon chewing the above center-filled chewing gums, a relatively small amount of liquid sweetener is quickly released into the oral cavity and is consumed, almost immediately.